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New web-based tool allows for anonymous traumatic brain injury testing
By Staff Writer
Trauma spectrum disorders include post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to the National Institute of Mental Health. To identify the presence of TBI in patients, researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine developed the first web-based screening tool for the condition.
The development of the Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire (BISQ) first began 20 years ago. The researchers witnessed a number of students in schools with TBIs that neither reported the condition nor received treatment for it. In some cases, this was due to the fact that the students' injuries were the result of abuse or assault.
This knowledge led the research team to develop a screening tool that would allow for anonymous screening. Individuals who use BISQ answer a series of questions about their injury and receive a computer-generated report. At-risk individuals are encouraged to seek further evaluation.
Veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan recently used BISQ in the Sixth Annual Road to Recovery Conference and Tribute in Orlando, Florida. The researchers behind the tool hope that more veterans' organizations embrace BISQ so that the underdiagnosed condition can be treated early.
